President Donald trump’s nominee for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Gina Haspel, has secured the US Senate’s approval for her appointment. Haspel will be the first ever woman to lead the CIA.

The Senate voted 54 to 44 to confirm her nomination—a margin that could have been a lot more tighter given her controversial background. She has been strongly criticised by Human Rights groups, many Democrats and even a few Republicans for implementing the CIA’s so-called enhanced interrogation techniques after the 9/11 attacks.

One of the senior most Republican Senators, John McCain, strongly opposed her nomination on these grounds but she sailed through after gaining support from a few Democrats. During questioning in front of the Senate Intelligence committee, she was repeatedly pressed on her role in running one of the infamous black sites - secret prisons outside the US where terror suspects were subjected to waterboarding.

Haspel has now said the CIA should not have used such methods and would not do so again even if the President demanded it. “I believe she is someone who can and will stand up to the President if ordered to do something illegal or immoral—like a return to torture,” said Decomcratic senator Mark Warner in a statement.

Senator Warner, who is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was amongst those who were initially opposed to her appointment. His views seem to have changed after Haspel wrote a letter to him saying: “With the benefit of hindsight and my experience as a senior agency leader, the enhanced interrogation program is not one the CIA should have undertaken.”

 A 33-year veteran of the CIA, Haspel will succeed Mike Pompeo who was recently confirmed as the US Secretary of State.  

 She is widely respected in the intelligence committee and many former directors of the CIA voiced their support for her. She joined the CIA in 1985 and has held close to 20 separate jobs at the agency, including several postings abroad.